COMUNE // AL PARTANEN // TIME FRAME // THE ROAD

NB: What's up with HESHERS ON THE RUN? Was most of that in Milwaukee?
AP: H.O.R was an eight minute promo I made for Creature back in 1995. It was for the Creauture Fiend Club...you'd send $10 and get a video, a Fiend Club Tee and some stickers. Most of the spots in my part were Milwaukee and Chicago.

NB: How did ILLENIUM come about? There was a mystique with that company that was kind of interesting…I remember all of the cloaked figures in the ads being very weird for me when I was younger…
AP: Illenium was the company I started in the spring of 1999. We didn't have a full team when it started so the hoods or "cloaked dudes" represented the nameless and faceless heads that are real skateboarding. Eventually we built a team that incorporated all aspects of skateboarding. It was a good run and a great experience.

NB: Has the filming process for CSFU differed from the previous CREATURE videos?
AP: CSFU will be the first video that I have actually "filmed" for. In the past I would just go on the trips, skate hard and see what came out at the premiere. That's good too, but it's harder now since everyone on the team is so good. I wanna push myself at my own pace and for the right reasons. The format for CSFU is going to be more like BORN DEAD so we'll all have individual parts in this one.

NB: It seems as if you're constantly on the road with a roadtrip here or a project there…physically it's grueling, but does it ever take a mental toll?
AP: I love the road, it's where i do most of my skating. Off the road I'm catching up, hanging with my friends and my amazing wife. It's a balance, I go hard on the road and recover and decompress at home. I'm the luckiest man alive, without both I would go mental.

NB: Who's the most underrated skateboarder of all time?
AP: Most underrated skater, hmmmmm? There are a lot of dudes and they're the best because too much hype is a curse. I have always been a fan of Mike Peterson, he is such an all around good guy and total ripper. Oh, and this guy Joe Fro from Colorado, he's a humble cat that builds parks and rips insane!

NB: What's in the works now? New projects? New hobbies?
AP: Filming for CSFU has been the main focus. Being in Portland during the Summer has been nice too; skating, riding my bike, hitting the lakes and rivers, Djing and enjoying the summer. Once the video is done and I have more free time I would like to make some new art and re-hype the STRAIGHT TRIPPIN' project Chet and I started a while back.

NB: What's your favorite piece in the Autumn/Winter line right now?
AP: I'm feeling the classic style and attention to detail with the LINDON.

NB: Why Portland?
AP: I've always been hyped on Portland. It has a bit of everything I like: progressive ideas, sick parks, good people, good food and coffee. It's not too blown out, has culture and is close to nature. I feel like it's a good quality of life for me, my lady and our cat.